A system of the above type is widely known. For example, it is known to store user profiles in consumer equipment to enable personalized operation in response to the user activating his user profile, for example, by means of an on-screen menu. Such a user profile may comprise information relating to the user's favorite TV or radio channels and the presets they should be assigned to. It may also comprise information about preferred parameter settings such as sound level, picture contrast, brightness etc.
It is foreseen that in the near future an increasing number of apparatuses will store information about personal data or preferences of users in order to adapt (personalize) their behavior to a particular user. On the one hand this will lead to increased usability and efficiency. On the other hand in the apparatuses involved user profiles have to be built up and activated each time the apparatus is used. This may involve inserting a chip-card, or entering a password, which is inconvenient. Alternatively, the user may be recognized by automatic identification (fingerprint, face or voice recognition, transponder technology), but a disadvantage of such systems is that privacy is not guaranteed.